With the 2009 Season Right Around the Corner, is Kasey Kahne Able?

Kasey Kahne. Sure, women love the luscious brown locks, the charming shyness, the adorable half smile, and don't you dare forget those blue eyes. But, does Kahne have what it takes to make 2009 his season?

You have to admire his driving ability. With nine wins, 16 poles, and just over 60 top-10s in his four seasons as a cup driver, how could you not? But one of the main rules if you want to stay ahead in NASCAR: Consistency. And Kahne doesn't have it.

Point blank. I ponder the question, do we expect more from Kahne than we should? After all, they have given him some awful big shoes to fill. From taking over for Bill Elliot in the No. 9 Dodge, to taking over for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as Budweiser's main man. It hasn't been an easy road for Kahne.

So why the inconsistency? Is it the Dodge engines that are so widely criticized? Is it the team which he drives for, which is inconsistent in its own ways? Or is it simply him? Is the man behind the wheel not coming to the track every week with the same passion, the same momentum. Does he lose it somewhere between Sunday and Friday?

We may never know why Kahne simply cannot run week in and week out as a top contender. Maybe the new merger with Richard Petty Enterprises will give that team just what they need.

There sure are a whole lot of maybes following everyone into this 09' season. It will be a year for a lot of drivers to prove themselves in the sport. I will keep my eye on Kahne. I have a feeling, the word of the year for the No. 9 team, is consistency. Like I said, if they can achieve that, I believe they can achieve the greatness that they are clearly destined for.